Tips on how to be a professional fairgoer
COSTA MESA (July 29, 2022) – Many fans of the OC Fair come back year after year to enjoy summer fun. We’ve got some tips for those long-time returnees as well as the first-timers so anyone can be a pro fairgoer!
Planning ahead
Tickets to the 2022 OC Fair must be purchased in advance online. We would be so bummed if you arrived without a ticket only to find that we’re sold out for the day.
Bring sandwich bags to store your leftovers. We have so many great shareable options, but even the mightiest of stomachs can get full, so don’t let good food go to waste!
Wear comfortable, closed-toe shoes (or you could be subject to spills, animal droppings or having to wear these funny little plastic covers available at certain rides for protecting your little piggies).
Wear sunscreen – and don’t forget to reapply. We also recommend wearing a hat or something to shade yourself from the sun. Also dress in loose, light-weight and light-colored clothing.
Bring lots of quarters! Your feetsies will need the Footsie Wootsies – colorful foot massage chairs located throughout the fairgrounds.
Follow us on social media. We post sold-out updates, clips from live performances and more! We’re on Facebook (@ocfair), Instagram (@oc_fair), Twitter (@ocfair) and TikTok (@oc_fair).
Getting here
Map to 88 Fair Drive in Costa Mesa, but then follow the directional signs, not the lines of cars! Signs will tell you which gates are open, which should help you get to your parking spot as fast as possible.
In case you get separated, take a picture of your children and what they are wearing today. Know where the Lost Child area is on our fairgrounds – it’s with Security and First Aid, all located to the right of The Hangar.
Looking for the best deal? Plan to be here by the time we open (11 a.m.) on Thursdays. We’ve got unlimited ride wristbands available on Wednesdays & Thursdays ($49 each, one per person/day, purchase/redeem by 5 p.m., use from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.). PLUS Thursdays we have our $4 Taste of Fair Food promotion, which features sample size bites from our food vendors for just $4 each.
At the Fair
Grab a Food Guide and printed map from one of the Info Booths. On the back of the map, there’s a list of things to do and see every day.
We have a weekend PARADE!! It starts at the Guest Services booth (located to the left of The Hangar) at 2:30 p.m. on Saturdays & Sundays, and winds its way around the Fair. Our roaming entertainers – such as the Dragon Knights, clowns, Foodies and Red Light Brass Band – make it a fun midday festivity!
Australian Battered Potatoes is a Fair favorite, but the people of Australia want to remind you that potato scallops usually come with chicken salt. Not willing to stray too far from tradition, Carmel Dyer, the stand’s Australian-born owner, made chicken salt available by request. And trust us when we say it is worth the ask!
You can fill your day without spending money beyond admission. Hungry? Bring your own sealed snacks and water/juices (please no cans or hard-sided coolers). Bored? We’ve got tons of entertainment, exhibits and shows that are free with Fair admission!
Don’t miss our mascots!! Did you know the OC Fair Foodies have a schedule? And thanks to their human handlers, they stick with it. Catch Olivia, Arturo the Churro, Cornelius, Strawberry Jan and Sunny at the OC Fair letters at noon and 2:30 p.m., in Explorium at 3:30 p.m., and in front of The Hangar at 1 and 4:30 p.m.
Feel like dancing? Hussong’s is the best spot to cut a rug. DJ Manny gets the party started every night at 5 p.m., followed by La Nueva Diligencia from 8 to 11 p.m.
The Big 5: Basics
The OC Fair is open through Aug. 14, Wednesdays through Sundays, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on weekdays (Wednesday, Thursday) and 11 a.m. to midnight weekends (Friday, Saturday and Sunday).
General admission is $12 on weekdays (Wednesday, Thursday) and $14 general admission on weekends (Friday, Saturday and Sunday). Tickets for seniors 60+ and kids 6-12 are $7 all days.
Parking is $10 for cars and motorcycles and $20 for buses and limos.
Fair admission tickets must be purchased in advance on ocfair.com. Bonus: no transaction fees!
Unlimited ride carnival wristbands are back this year for $49. The one-day wristbands can be used Wednesdays and Thursdays, must be purchased or redeemed by 5 p.m. and include unlimited rides and two free games; guests can ride and play from 11 a.m. till 8 p.m.
More information is at ocfair.com/thefair.
Got questions? Check out our FAQ.
Photos and video for media, as well as OC Fair’s media access request form, are available on the Media Center.
OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, California, is home to the annual OC Fair. Year-round attractions include Centennial Farm, Table of Dignity, Heroes Hall and Pacific Amphitheatre. OC Fair & Event Center also hosts year-round events. For more information, visit ocfair.com.
Support of OC Fair & Event Center provides year-round educational opportunities and helps fund community give-back programs.